As I continue working on my mandala project for another class, I want to continue working on the idea of a dot art mandala (as shown in class before). I’m going to use my inspirations from Islamic art which in architecture intricate symmetrical patterns, and past pointillism art.

Isilay Yildiz, a Studio Art major, drew inspiration from her life, Islamic patterns, and surroundings. As she is inspired to become an art teacher, she wants to inspire the younger generation to continue creating and to use art to inspire others. She creates dot art mandalas on canvases for meditation and connects with her viewers through intricate patterns and complex designs to show her past experiences.

Isilay Yildiz is a visual artist currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art at Stony Brook University. With a strong foundation in the arts, Isilay has developed her skills through years of hands-on experience, starting from her time in high school, where she was an active member of the National Art Honors Society and participated in various creative activities. Her passion for art is rooted in both her academic journey and extracurricular activities, including her involvement in community programs such as Best Buddies, where she supported children with autism and Down syndrome in afterschool programs.

Isilay is known for her friendly and kind demeanor, which has helped her form connections in every space she enters. Her dedication to visual arts, coupled with her background in service and instruction, has shaped her unique perspective and artistic voice. As she continues her studies, Isilay is focused on exploring the intersections of art and community, with an emphasis on creating works that reflect her life experiences and social engagement. She looks forward to continuing to grow as an artist and contributing to the contemporary art world with her distinct vision and passion for creativity.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a fascinating neurological condition where individuals with significant vision loss experience vivid, often complex visual hallucinations. These hallucinations range from simple patterns to detailed images of people, animals, or fantastical scenes. My project seeks to explore the emotional, psychological, and phenomenological dimensions of CBS through a series of paintings that capture the elusive, transient, and surreal nature of these hallucinations.

I aim to create visual interpretations of the syndrome, focusing on how individuals might experience the dissonance between the real world they inhabit and the illusory visions they see. The paintings will explore the tension between loss and creation—where the mind, deprived of sight, compensates by generating intricate and sometimes disturbing images. The series will also touch upon themes of isolation, perception, and the fragility of sensory experience.

The show Nicole Cohen: Super Vision at the Paul W. Zuccaire Exhibition is a mid-vocation study of Cohen’s mixed media work. Cohen’s pieces challenge customary insights by mixing over a significant period, investigating how inside spaces and engineering converge with thoughts of observation, discernment, and submersion. Through her utilization of video, photography, and composition, Cohen controls these spaces to establish fanciful conditions that reflect both reality and dream.

One of the most striking parts of the show is Cohen’s utilization of classic symbolism, like pages from old magazines, joined with contemporary computerized intercessions. This juxtaposition makes a discourse between various periods and social settings, featuring how spaces — homegrown or public — are socially built and deciphered. Her utilization of video projections adds a powerful component to the show, changing static insides into vivid encounters that vibe both natural and extraordinary.

Cohen’s Classic Undertaking and her Mediation recordings especially stick out, bringing watchers into modified conditions that question the limits of observation and individual experience. For instance, her rethinking of famous engineering spaces accentuates how we view and cooperate with our general surroundings, mixing Cohen’s unmistakable way of utilizing both physical and advanced spaces.

In general, the show brings out areas of strength for reflection, as watchers are noticing these modified conditions as well as becoming members inside them. Super Vision subsequently fills in as an investigation of the room, both strict and figurative, making it a provocative display that challenges regular thoughts of discernment and reality.